


you can call me babe for the weekend

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: we could put the poets to shame [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Holidays, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, the rest are mostly background, trevordeke is the main ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28287807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: Deke's habit of teasing his best friend at the Mackenzies' yearly Christmas party is less fun when she's engaged.Trevor's little sister is bringing her serious boyfriend for their New Year's traditions and he's left as the awkward third wheel.Maybe there's a way they can help each other out.
Relationships: Agents of SHIELD Team & Deke Shaw, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Deke Shaw & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Lincoln Campbell & Deke Shaw, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Sequoia/Deke Shaw (mentioned), Trevor Khan/Deke Shaw
Series: we could put the poets to shame [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015173
Comments: 21
Kudos: 12
Collections: AoS Topsy-Turvy Hallmark Holidays





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first of my two planned Christmas fics of 2020!
> 
> I feel like writing this fic, where the main ship is TrevorDeke and I have a bunch of popular ships as background to that, has the same energy as the HP movies where they cast well known actors for the teachers and other adults but the main characters were all played by relatively unknown actors. 
> 
> Posting schedule for this monster will be at the end of this chapter!

[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Did you MEAN to put +1 on your Xmas party RSVP?_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Mack is skeptical to add an extra seat anywhere_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Jemma's thrilled tho_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _yes I did mean to_  
[ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _tell Mack to stop being mean and add the seat_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Who are you bringing?_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Anyone I know?_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Please say no_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _not your business_

[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _You're bringing someone to the Christmas party?_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _A real someone?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _you're worse than Mack_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _yes I'm bringing a real someone_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _What's this someone's name?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _you'll have to wait and see_

[ text | from: **Yo-Yo** ] _adding an Xtra seat 4 u_  
[ text | from: **Yo-Yo** ] _r u bringing some1 cute??_  
[ text | to: **Yo-Yo** ] _thank you for the extra seat_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Yo-Yo** ] _tell your husband I know he didn't want to add it_

Deke sighed while he tucked his phone into the pocket of his jacket, biting his lip and shuffling through the parking lot toward the door that led to the mall. He had a lot of Christmas shopping left to do, and only about a week to finish all of it, which would have been stressful enough if he didn't also have to find a  _ date _ for the holiday party. And that was just because he was too stubborn to  _ not _ bring a date when Daisy was bringing along her fianceé.

Normally, he could spend the entire night playfully flirting with one of his best friends, but that plan only worked  _ before _ she got engaged over the summer. Lincoln was a great doctor, and an even better  _ person; _ he wasn't going to do anything that might get between them, even if it was a joke. And, among other things, he was also  _ powered,  _ and Deke didn't particularly want to die on Christmas. Boxing Day, maybe, but not Christmas. 

He was already making Mack add an extra seat, and cleaning up a body would just add to the inconvenience.

With his hands in his pockets, he tried to ignore the anxiety starting to curl in his stomach. He didn't have many friends outside of the circle who were already invited to the party, and certainly none that he could convince to be his date even for one night. At least, no one that he  _ wanted _ to try to convince to be his date. He had one person who would probably be willing, but that relationship wasn't something he ever wanted to revisit. Besides, Daisy and everyone else would see right through that, and then he'd never live it down. He had to find someone that no one would be able to  _ tell  _ was a last minute plus one invite, and he had less than a week to do it.

-

_ "And you're sure you're okay with me bringing someone along?" _

"Yes, Avi. My apartment is big enough for three people. It's really not a problem."

_ "You're the best, Trev. And you made the reservation for dinner, right? I don't want to be stuck waiting for a table until midnight on New Year's like last year. That would be a very bad first impression, don't you think?" _

"I'm sure that whichever friend you're bringing has already heard plenty of embarrassing stories about me. The first impression doesn't matter if you've already  _ told them _ I'm an idiot."

_ "I actually talked you up to my boyfriend, Trev-bug. I want him to like you, not regret this entire relationship." _

"Wait, hold on, you're bringing your  _ boyfriend? _ And you're just telling me this  _ now?" _ He felt the pit hit his stomach in a matter of seconds, squeezing his eyes shut with a frown. It was one thing to host his little sister for a few nights during the holidays, but having her bring along a serious boyfriend when he was still single, well... that was just embarrassing. "Actually, that's perfect. I'll fix the reservation and you can meet my boyfriend while you're here, too. We can both make some good first impressions."

The words came out in a rush, and Trevor kept his eyes closed while he frowned to himself. It was a good idea, if he actually  _ had _ a boyfriend, but he didn't, and New Years was only weeks away. It wouldn't exactly be  _ easy _ to find a nice guy to introduce his sister to before she got to town, but it wasn't  _ impossible.  _ Hopefully.

_ "I didn't know you were seeing anyone. Is it serious? Should I tell mom?" _

"Absolutely do  _ not _ tell mom. Not until at least after you meet him. You have to screen him, first. Have you told mom about  _ your _ boyfriend?"

_ "I'm not crazy. Of course I haven't told her."  _ There was a teasing note in her voice, the hint of a smile coming through loud and clear.  _ "He has to get your approval, first." _

-

As soon as he was off the phone with his sister, Trevor let out a sigh and shrank a bit in the hard, plastic, mall cafeteria seat. Everywhere he glanced, there were people taking a break in their last minute holiday shopping, couples making eyes at each other, kids screaming and running around while they waited for lunch, exhausted and bagladen parents. He knew he didn't live in a romantic comedy, that there was no way he'd meet the perfect guy while out doing his own last minute shopping, but he let himself hope, just for a few moments, that he'd accidentally stumbled into someone worthy of Hallmark. He hadn't, but it was a nice moment when he could pretend.

He tried to slouch further in his seat to avoid any gaze that could potentially land on him, as if anyone knew what kind of lie he'd just told to his own sister. They were all too caught up in their own lives to care about whether or not he had a date for New Year's dinner or not. With a soft sigh, Trevor reached over to pick up one of his now cold fries and dunk it in the sad paper cup filled with ketchup. His lunch was half gone, but his appetite had completely disappeared along with most of his will to live. He'd never hear the end of it if his sister found out he was lying, and then his mother would somehow find out, and then their entire hometown would know that he couldn't even get a boyfriend in a state like New York. It would be easier to just let himself melt into the plastic underneath him and not deal with any of it at all.

With a frown, Trevor made himself get to his feet so that he could throw away the napkins and foil and potatoes that remained of his food. For the time being, he could focus on  _ holiday shopping,  _ and not everything else about the season that he always dreaded. Whether he actually found a date for New Year's or not, he was sure that whoever it was wouldn't live up to whatever expectations his family had. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he made his way from the cafeteria and toward the stores he still planned to browse through.

Two hours had already been wasted on trying to find some kind of gift that his sister wouldn't cringe at, and after their phone call, he was even more determined to find something that would ease the blow of his lies. That was how he found himself at a rack of sweaters in the middle of the department store, looking through the ridiculous puns on each one with a sigh. If he couldn't even gift shop properly, then the entire holiday season was bound to be a complete bust.

He was too occupied with reading each one while he walked in a slow circle around the rack, the silly captions on each making him start to smile. He was almost ready to laugh at the sight of a little sheep draped in lights between the words  _ "Fleece Navidad" _ when he felt his shoulder brush up against a person, the collision light but just jarring enough to make him stop moving and look up. His original intention was to apologize and move away, find another rack to look through for gift ideas, but he was stopped in his tracks when his eyes met a set of grey, and all the words sat unsaid on the tip of his tongue.

With his luck, Trevor knew that the man next him was either straight, taken, or both, but he thought about every meet-cute scene he'd ever watched in clichéd Hallmark storylines, and for just a moment, it was real.

"S-sorry...!" The other man was the one to speak up first, taking a small step away and breaking whatever spell their close proximity had on his thoughts. "I should have been paying more attention, but I just-"

"No, it's okay." Trevor cut in quickly, holding his hands up with a small smile. "I bumped into you. I was the one who was laughing at stupid holiday puns and got distracted. You're okay, right?" For the first time, he noticed how wide the man's eyes actually were, emotion sitting just behind them and making anxiety churn in his own gut. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt at all? Is there anything I can do?"

He didn't relax until he heard the quiet laugh he got in response, tension leaving his shoulders and making them sag with something like relief. "No, I'm not hurt. You just startled me, if anything. Sorry, I'm just... I'm a little jumpy. Trying to do some last minute shopping, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that." Trevor nodded his head with a small, taking a deep breath before making himself at least  _ try  _ to make a move. It wouldn't necessarily go anywhere, but he wouldn't know unless he tried. Putting his hand out, he stood up a bit straighter and found his voice again. "I'm Trevor, by the way. Super sorry, again, about running into you."

There was a moment when he thought his efforts had gone completely unreceived, the air between them almost too quiet until another hand shook his. "Deke. And you really don't have to keep apologizing."

-

Deke couldn't remember, exactly, how they got to where they were, settled on the stone edge of the mall’s fountain next to each other with their phones out, scrolling through lists of people they still had to stop for. It had been less than an hour since they’d bumped into each other, quite literally, and there was already an  _ ease  _ to any quiet that happened to fall between them, not that it happened very often. 

So far, he’d already learned that Trevor had a sister he needed to shop for, no pets, and his shoulders were perfectly wide enough to fill out a cardigan -  _ any _ cardigan, it seemed, considering he’d tried on a few of them while they were still in the department store.

He was trying to focus on his own list, frowning a bit while his gaze flickered between the screen and the man he was tentatively starting to think of as a friend. “I still have to shop for my friend Daisy, her fiancé, my other friend Mack, and... well, I’m on here, but that’s not a shopping thing.”

Trevor arched a brow before leaning closer to peer down at the short list on the screen. “Why are you on your own shopping list?”

“Uh... because I did something stupid? You’ll learn I do stupid things a lot.”

“I will?”

Deke stopped when he realized what he said, taking a deep breath and looking down to hide his pink cheeks. “I mean, if we ever see each other again after today, you will.”

“Right...” Glancing over, he thought he saw a small smile on Trevor’s face. “What was this stupid thing? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

Shaking his head, Deke took another breath before letting himself smile, the expression sheepish. “I’m going to this annual Christmas party my friends host, and I put  _ plus one _ on my RSVP, when I definitely  _ don’t  _ have a plus one."

"So, you're on your own list, because you're shopping for a date?"

He nodded at the words, biting his lip while he looked down again. It was embarrassing to even say the words out loud at all, let alone to someone he just met - a  _ cute _ someone he just met. "Yeah, something like that."

There was a moment of quiet between them, and he almost thought he'd scared his new friend off before he finally spoke. "What are you doing for New Year's?"

Deke blinked at the words, looking over at him with a frown, confusion clear on his face. "Um... nothing? I don't celebrate a lot of holidays, actually. I only do the Christmas thing because my grandparents dragged me along a few years ago, and I've gotten my own invitation since then."

"Well... I also did a stupid thing. A very similar stupid thing. I kind of... told my sister that I have a boyfriend, and that I'd introduce her to him when we go to dinner for New Year's. So..." Trevor wouldn't meet his gaze, looking down at the water next to them and then his darkened phone screen, instead. "If you need a date for Christmas, and I need a date for New Year's, and neither of us have plans for those other days... maybe, we could... pretend to be each other's dates? And then we'll both have dates for our family events, without the pressure of  _ actually _ finding a date on short notice, and-"

"That's genius." Deke cut off his babbling with a small smile, shaking his head and sitting up straighter. "And because it's an act, you can be completely done with my stupid decisions after the holidays. If you don't want to be completely done with it, we can go bowling, sometime, or something."

He got a nod in response, along with a sheepish smile that otherwise mirrored his own. “Yeah. I mean, if we still  _ want _ to hang out together. I don’t know if this fake relationship will really survive you meeting my sister.”

-

Deke sat in his car after he finished up at the mall, taking a deep breath and trying to figure out how he’d gotten into this situation. He was going on a date with a handsome stranger he’d met while Christmas shopping;  _ two  _ dates, when he factored in the commitment to New Year’s. Only, they weren’t  _ real _ dates, and he didn’t know how he felt about that part. 

[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _hey, if I tell you things, they’re protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, right?_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _only when I’m acting as a medical professional_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _so probably not when it comes to whatever you’re about to say_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _I’m bringing a guy to Christmas_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _don’t tell Daisy or Nana or anyone_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _I know everyone KNOWS but_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _but you don’t want them to make a big deal out of it. I get it_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _Daisy will probably harass him when she meets him tho_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _she worries_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _I know she does_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _she doesn’t need to this time_

-

[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _tell me about him!!!_  
[ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _tell Lincoln I hate his guts_

[ text | from: **Nana** ] _you're bringing someone to Christmas?_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _is he nice?_

[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _Jem says you're bringing a cute guy to the party_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _is that true or is Daisy messing with us?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _it's true but Lincoln wasn't supposed to say anything_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _tell him to fuck off for me?_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _will do_

-

As soon as the apartment door closed behind him and his shopping bags were safely set down, Trevor let out a heavy sigh. It was stupid to suggest the idea in the first place, to  _ pretend _ to date the man he met in the mall who was good looking, and nice, and  _ agreed to be his fake boyfriend for at least two nights. _

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say he’d lost his mind. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and, instead of moving from the doorway, sat down on the damp mat there. It wasn’t a  _ bad _ situation, not in the slightest, but so much of him was kicking himself for suggesting an  _ act  _ instead of just asking Deke out, point blank. Now, whatever they had between them was going to be artificial and short lived, and it was his own fault.

-

Only three days after they met, they were back at the mall, sitting in the cafeteria with only a table and a basket of fries between them. If they were going to convince their friends and families of their relationship, they had to know more about each other than just names and Christmas shopping lists.

Deke popped another fry into his mouth while he relaxed in his seat and listened happily, occasionally typing notes into his phone so he wouldn’t forget anything important. 

“My sister is younger than me, by about seven years, and she knows me better than most people. I tell people my favorite color is blue, but it’s actually yellow. My favorite movie of all time is  _ The Breakfast Club.  _ And I’ve lived on the east coast for about three years.”

Nodding, he sat up straighter before sharing his own litany of fun facts. “I don’t have a favorite color. I don’t have a favorite movie. And, before we go to the party, you should know that my grandparents are the same age as I am. I got caught in a time thing, a few years back - they call it a temporal, um...”

“You’re one of the temporal displacements.” Trevor supplied with wide eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, it might be suspicious if I didn’t know that one. I feel like that would be one of the first things to come up, in a serious relationship.”

“Yeah...” Deke bit his lip, shaking his head slowly. “Everyone at the party will know about that, for obvious reasons. My friend, Flint, will be there, too, and he travelled back with me. So you’ll get to hang out with  _ two _ temporal displacements, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

The words earned him an arched brow in response, and he was sure that he was blushing when Trevor spoke up. "If I'm into that kind of thing, huh? Well, maybe I'll learn something new about myself this Christmas."

Deke turned a brighter shade of red, then, awkwardly clearing his throat. “Well, anyway, we should probably get our story figured out. Anyone would see right through us if we have different versions of when and how we met. I had to give my RSVP a month ago, so the relationship has to be longer than that. Do you have a timeline you have to make this fit into?”

“I went home for my birthday at the end of the summer, and my mom was very upset about how long I’ve been single, but that was four months ago. We have tons of wiggle room, there.”

Nodding his head, Deke tried to make himself relax instead of letting his mind linger too long on any one thing they said. “So... two months ago, we can say? October, very autumnal, lots of chances for a classic meet-cute. We can pull from the truth, a little, say that we met here at the mall while shopping for... Halloween costumes, instead of Christmas gifts.”

Trevor nodded and reached for a small cluster of fries. “That’s perfect. Then we aren’t  _ completely _ lying and it’ll be easier to remember.” He ate the fries one at a time, speaking up again between bites. “What about ground rules? Like... no asking for embarrassing stories, no dates outside of each other until the arrangement is over, we should probably have a set end date, no kissing-“

“No kissing?” Deke frowned and dropped the fry he was holding onto a napkin. “Is there a reason for that one?”

“Well, kissing would make it harder to keep feelings out of it, and any kind of emotional attachment would only make this more complicated than it needs to be.”

With a small shrug, he looked back down at the fries. “Yeah, I guess. But hand holding has to be okay, and touches in general. No kissing, fine, but we have to sell it, somehow, and I reserve the right to moon over you.”

Trevor coughed to hide a laugh before nodding his head. “Yeah, yeah, of course. I wasn’t going to cut off  _ all  _ physical contact, just the kissing. We have to keep emotions completely out of it, or we’ll reach the end of this and one or both of us will end up hurt.” They were both quiet for a long moment, eating from the pile of fries. Eventually, the comfortable silence that had fallen between them was broken again. “Hey, since you’re from the future, you’ve seen, like, every Christmas movie, right? Like, required-viewing-every-year-even-if-you’ve-seen-it-a-million-times classics like  _ Polar Express?” _

Deke blinked at the question, finishing the potato in his mouth before speaking quietly. “Should I be scared? I don’t know what  _ any _ of those words mean.”

With a shake of his head, Trevor got to his feet and let out a sigh. “Come on. They show it at the IMAX here every afternoon in December. Let’s fix this.  _ And _ it comes with the bonus of being able to say we went to see a movie together on our first date.”

“But the fries-“

“I’ll buy you popcorn.”

“Oh! You’re the best fake boyfriend  _ ever.” _

-

[ text | from: **Nana** ] _Mack wants me to double check they'll need the extra seat tonight for your +1_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _preferably with a few hours' notice_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _yes, the extra seat is necessary_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _I expect everyone to be NICE to him btw_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _that includes Bobo_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _do we get to know his name before the party tonight?_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _or are you going to just leave us in suspense?_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _his name is Trevor_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _and if anyone embarrasses me in front of him this will be the ONLY time you meet him_

-

Deke sighed and adjusted his sweater on his shoulders before checking his appearance in the mirror. It was silly, wanting to look nice for his fake date, it wasn’t like he got to go out with people anymore - since Sequoia, his dating pool had pretty much dried up, and he didn’t want to risk any of  _ that _ happening again, so he’d stopped trying. Even if it was fake, it was the first relationship he’d pursued in almost a year, and every second of it made him anxious.

Once he was satisfied with his appearance, or as satisfied as he could be, he pulled out his phone to look over his notes app. There was a list, there, not so much a binding contract as a reminder of what this  _ relationship _ allowed. It was their rules, the guidelines they’d set in preparation for their holidays so that no one got hurt.

_ The relationship is to “end” amicably on January 3rd, before Trevor’s sister can go home and spread the word about it. _

_ No kissing. _

_ No asking family members or friends for embarrassing stories.  _

_ No discussion of past relationships, especially with family members or friends.  _

_ And absolutely NO emotions allowed. _

For the most part, it would be easy to stick to. And, if he was able to follow the rest of the rules, maybe it would be easy to pretend he was following the last one, too.

Frowning at the screen, Deke took a deep breath and shook his head. This was silly. They shouldn’t need  _ rules _ for something that wasn’t even real - something that  _ couldn’t  _ be real. They’d known each other for barely a week, and they shouldn’t be interested in each other’s lives enough to ask about things like embarrassing stories or past relationships or day jobs or favorite songs... and yet, here they were, making rules and discussing these things like it wasn’t the least it strange. 

His phone buzzed with a notification and he switched apps to read the new message.

[ text | from: **Trevor** ] _I just parked outside your building_  
[ text | from: **Trevor** ] _come down whenever you’re ready_

That’s right, because not only did he have a fake boyfriend, but he had a fake boyfriend who had offered to drive them to the party. Not only would he have to lie to his family and friends all night, but he’d have to pretend to feel absolutely nothing for the kind, handsome, perfect, almost-stranger he was bringing as a date. As if Christmas Eve wasn’t complicated enough. 

[ text | to:  **Trevor** ]  _ omw now _

-

Taking a deep breath, Trevor bit his tongue and looked around the huge room while staying close to Deke's side. It was certainly a  _ party,  _ and it looked fun, but it was hard to be enthusiastic when he only knew one person there, and even that relationship was, well,  _ fake. _ Maybe he could play it off as nerves, if anyone questioned why he was so quiet. As if he was just anxious about meeting his boyfriend's family, and so  _ soon, _ considering the short timeline of their cover story. Yeah, that would do. And it wasn't exactly that far from the truth. He was anxious, and hoping it wouldn't be too noticeable and called out or questioned - that could ruin everything.

He fidgeted with the paper bag in his hand, crinkling it with his fingers almost exclusively to keep himself from doing anything else. If he could focus on that and the gentle warmth coming from his fake boyfriend's arm being so close to his, instead of his nerves, it would be easier to control them. Hopefully.

The bottle contained within the paper was only a temporary distraction, of course. As soon as he was introduced to the hosts of the evening, he had to give up the gift he'd brought along, and then his only distraction from his anxiety was  _ Deke. _

**(** _ "I waited a little too long to shop, so they were out of champagne by the time I picked this up. I hope tequila is okay? It's a good brand." _

_ "Oh, I like him. Good job, Deke."  _ **)**

In quick succession, he was being introduced to people with names he didn't remember after ten minutes. But then fingers slid between his, and the names he was under no obligation to remember didn't matter anymore. After the party, he would likely never see any of these people again, and it wouldn't take long for most of them to have so much alcohol that they probably wouldn't remember him, either. No emotional attachment meant he shouldn't get invested in these people, either, he supposed. That would make it too hard to let go of the fantasy once it was all over.

The first time he made himself  _ really _ focus and remember names, engage in the conversation instead of just letting the introductions pass him by, was when he was being introduced to Deke's  _ grandparents.  _ They were introduced to him as  _ Nana  _ and  _ Bobo,  _ but a correction was quickly made before he could use either of the almost overly familiar titles.

"Don't call me  _ Bobo,  _ it makes me feel old. Call me Leo. Or Fitz. Anything but  _ Bobo." _

Trevor smiled and shook his head, letting his gaze drift over toward Deke, just for a moment. It was partially for the reminder that he had someone there, that he wasn't completely alone around so many new people, but they did have to  _ sell _ their fake romance. Letting himself gaze at the man next to him, however briefly, was the perfect way to solidify the story they were telling. "Yeah, I've heard that you don't like it, much. But, I mean, you  _ are _ a grandfather. I think a nickname that makes you sound a little old is the least of your worries."

The look he got almost made him panic, because Leo didn't look entirely happy with the comment he'd decided to make. But, after a few moments, a quiet scoff made it easy to relax almost immediately. "Well,  _ I  _ think Deke finally found someone who can keep up with his sarcastic comments. We might all be in danger."

Deke was quick to shake his head, his fingers twitching against Trevor's own hand until they received a gentle squeeze. The gesture was instinctive, not a word having to pass between them before a new kind of calm settled in. "And I think I told Nana that everyone should be  _ nice  _ tonight. That includes you, Bobo, specifically." He lowered his voice to a stage whisper for his next sentence, the words making Trevor's cheeks feel warm. "You're gonna scare him off."

"If I was going to be scared away, it would have been at the mere  _ idea  _ of meeting all of your friends and family at a holiday party. If I made it this far, it's going to be pretty hard to get rid of me."

For just a moment, when their eyes met in the glow of all of the hanging lights, it was easy to forget that, despite whatever they said in front of other people, this thing between them did have an expiration date.

-

"So you  _ did  _ bring someone."

_ "Daisy." _

"Hi. I'm Daisy. Deke has told us absolutely nothing about you and part of me was convinced you were made up while the rest of me still isn't convinced you aren't a serial killer."

Deke frowned and shook his head quickly, stepping forward just enough to put himself partially between his best friend and his date for the night. "Daisy, can the interrogation wait until we're not in the middle of a party? I brought him along because I thought you guys were going to be  _ nice." _

He felt a hand at his elbow, and then Trevor was closer to his side again. "Hey. I'm Trevor - very real and, last time I checked, not a serial killer."

Daisy tilted her head with a wide smile, stepping forward to shake his hand while sending Deke a pointed wink. "Polite  _ and _ he isn't a killer? Nicely done, Dekey." She dropped her hand to her side again, still plainly eager to keep this conversation going for as long as she could, at least while it meant she could poke fun. "Maybe, by the end of the night, we'll know if he's a  _ keeper." _

With a roll of his eyes, her fiancé shook his head. "Sorry, this  _ is _ actually Daisy's version of being nice. To Deke. They exist to give each other a hard time."

"It's true." Deke nodded his head with a smile, looking over at Lincoln pointedly. "So maybe you shouldn't have told everyone something I specifically asked you not to."

The doctor rolled his eyes and stepped over, putting a hand on his shoulder with a small smile of his own. "Yes, and I'm  _ sorry.  _ Can I talk to you for a second? It'll be really quick, I swear. Daisy can make sure Trevor doesn't get lost in all these people."

"Well, I mean-"

"Perfect."

-

Trevor bit his lip while he watched them go, taking a slow breath before letting himself frown. He was sure he'd be perfectly safe with any one of his fake boyfriend's friends, but their cover story was flimsy, at best, and any invasive questions would make it all completely fall apart. His life probably wasn't in any danger, but their entire charade was, and that only made him anxious.

"So, you're the mysterious plus one."

The sound of Daisy's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to face her again with a somewhat forced smile. He just had to get through the next few minutes, and then everything would be  _ fine.  _ "Oh, yeah. I guess. I didn't realize he didn't tell you guys much..."

"Oh, we're used to that." She shook her head, her gaze flitting over his shoulder to keep an eye on both of their dates for a moment before she spoke again. "He doesn't tell us about his relationships. The last time I heard anything about Deke's love life was when he broke it off with his ex-girlfriend, for good. The last time before that was when I had to drive him to the emergency room because of her bullshit."

Trevor frowned and shook his head again, biting his tongue. They didn't have a lot of rules for their arrangement, but learning information from family and friends wasn't exactly  _ encouraged.  _ That's something that  _ real  _ partners did, not people who were  _ pretending _ for the sake of their egos. "Actually, I-"

"Look, Trevor, I know we just met, but I want to make one thing clear - if you do anything to hurt him,  _ you _ will be the one in the hospital."

He opened his mouth and closed it again, frowning in confusion while he struggled to catch up with her words. Sure, it was against the rules to learn about each other, but this seemed like something that was a little more important than just silly childhood stories. "Wait... I assumed he had exes, but he never said anything about..."

"About Sequoia?" Daisy fell quiet, looking at him for a long moment before lowering her voice. "Don't you dare tell him I told you, because I think he's already upset with Lincoln for telling the rest of us that he was bringing you tonight, but... I haven't seen him like this in a long time. He hasn't been in a relationship since her, as far as we know, until you, and I won't stand around and watch him get hurt again."

Looking over his shoulder, Trevor took a breath and tried to savor that moment - the smile he could see from afar and the feeling in his gut that came with it. "Yeah, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."

-

Deke frowned when he was led away, trying to turn around to look back under the guise of scratching his shoulder. It was silly, worrying about something that he didn't  _ need  _ to worry about. He was fully aware that Trevor could handle himself, especially when the biggest danger was Daisy asking a few too many questions, but maybe wasn't exactly  _ worried.  _ Maybe he just didn't want to leave the side he'd felt so comfortable at.

"I know I probably shouldn't talk to you about this in the middle of the Christmas party, but we don't have a lot of conversations, just the two of us."

He turned to face Lincoln again, his frown one of confusion while he tried to understand the words. They didn't  _ talk _ one-on-one very often, but their text log was miles long, and they spent plenty of time together whenever Daisy dragged them both out for a night of fun. Admittedly, that was less often since the engagement, but they were still  _ friends.  _ Close friends, even. "Um... I mean, you can always call, if you need something. I might not answer, because no one uses phones to call anymore outside of like,  _ emergencies,  _ but I'd call  _ back.  _ Or you could text. I always see my texts."

Coughing to muffle a laugh, Lincoln shook his head quickly. "No, no, Deke, it's, uh... it's really a conversation that should probably happen  _ in person,  _ and this is the first chance I've had that wasn't, well, a bar."

Deke blinked, still confused and hesitant while he shook his head. "Should I be worried, or...?'

"No! No, it's a  _ good _ conversation, I swear, it's just..." There was a few moments of quiet, between the two of them, while he took a breath so deep that it made his shoulders rise and fall. It was strange, seeing his normally calm and collected friend seemingly  _ nervous,  _ and Deke didn't have any idea of what to say to try to help with that, which only made the quiet stretch out until it was almost painful.

"Look, Lincoln, I-"

"I want you to be my best man."

Deke fell silent again immediately, blinking at him once. Twice. Three times. Then he let out a huff of air through his nose and tried to process the words. He knew what they  _ meant,  _ it was a simple sentence, but he didn't exactly fully understand what they meant for  _ him.  _ Staying quiet for a long moment, he turned them over in his head. He knew what a best man was, obviously, from his years spent in their time and stories from his childhood, but that was a title typically reserved for friends,  _ close friends,  _ not someone who accidentally met his best friend because he needed a ride to the hospital.

Except, here he was, with someone who considered him a close enough friend to offer him that title.

"Oh..."

"You can say no, if you-"

"Stop. I'm not saying no." Deke shook his head quickly, taking a breath before straightening his shoulders. As soon as the shock wore off, he could feel himself smiling, a warmth filling him from the inside out when he spoke again. "Just... absorbing. Yeah. Yeah, of course, I'll be your best man. That's not even a question."

He watched a wide smile spread over Lincoln's face. "Good, good, because, uh... I didn't have a back up plan if you said no."

-

The rest of the party was fun, and significantly less stressful when Deke knew his best friend wasn't going to interrogate his fake boyfriend for any inappropriate details about their nonexistent relationship. For the rest of the night, there was a hand always on his arm or fingers always laced between his, gentle touches, softer looks, the warm feeling that didn't so much as fade after his conversation with Lincoln.

When the car was parked in front of his building again, the cold darkness of the night just beyond the door, he turned in his seat without moving to get out just yet. If he got out of the car, he'd have to go upstairs to his apartment just be  _ alone,  _ for at least the rest of the night, and that wasn't exactly preferable to the way he'd spent the last few hours. Between his family and his friends and  _ Trevor,  _ he'd felt less alone than he had in a very long time.

"I hope that wasn't too crazy of a night for you. Sorry if anyone said anything weird..."

Trevor shook his head with a smile, relaxed in his own seat while their gazes met. "No, it was... kind of fun, actually, once I got used to being around so many people. And that pie they broke out at the end of the night was  _ delicious.  _ That can't possibly be store bought."

Deke shook his head, biting back a grin while he sank comfortably into his seat. "No, I have no idea where they get it. But we have it every year. I'll ask Mack for the recipe, or the address to whatever bakery they steal it from."

He got a nod in return, the smile softening. "That would be great. I'll, uh... see you next weekend? I'll text you."

"Yeah. Next weekend. Goodnight, Trevor."

"G'night, Deke."

-

[ text | from: **Mack Hammer** ] _I saw you have a second glass of champagne_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Mack Hammer** ] _Please tell me you didn't drive yourself home_  
[ text | to: **Mack Hammer** ] _relax Trev drove_  
[ text | to: **Mack Hammer** ] _thanks for the concern tho_  
[ text | from: **Mack Hammer** ] _Good_  
[ text | from: **Mack Hammer** ] _You need someone responsible like that_

[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _he's cute_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _nicely done, Deke_  
[ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _is that all you care about? that he's cute?_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _obviously not_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _but I'm not gonna call to lecture you at almost 2am_

[ text | from: **Nana** ] _let me know when you're home safe!_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _already am_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _you're coming for brunch tomorrow?_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _of course_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _with Trevor?_  
[ text | to: **Nana** ] _no Trevor tomorrow. family day, remember?_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _boo. he seemed fun! and sweet! tell him hi for us next time you see him!_

[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _don't worry about dressing nice for brunch_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _we're all going to be too hungover to care_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _it was nice to meet Trevor_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _I wasn't too mean was I? Jemma's making me apologize for some reason_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _you weren't that mean_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _are you gonna compliment my cute boyfriend, too?_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _no_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _he seems nice tho_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _I think he might be good for you_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _are you still drunk?_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _no I just thought you seemed really happy tonight_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _haven't seen that in a while_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! Once again, I can't contain my ideas to a manageable word count, so a little bit of a long chapter.
> 
> Enjoy, and have a happy New Year! (we can all at least _hope_ that 2021 is better than whatever 2020 was)

[ text | to: **Lemons** ] _hey, are you on your way?_  
[ text | to: **Lemons** ] _I know traffic is crazy tonight I'm just tired of my sister asking if you're real_  
[ text | from: **Lemons** ] _shit dinner is 2nite???_  
[ text | to: **Lemons** ] _DEKE_  
[ text | from: **Lemons** ] _i'm kidding!_  
[ text | from: **Lemons** ] _i just parked i'm headed in now_  
[ text | to: **Lemons** ] _I'm too tired of my sister's nonsense to deal with yours too tonight_  
[ text | from: **Lemons** ] _cranky Trevor noises_  
[ text | from: **Lemons** ] _you're kinda cute when you're grumpy_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Lemons** ] _would you please hurry?_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Lemons** ] _and how do you know what I look like when I'm grumpy?_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Lemons** ] _look out the window right now_

-

Trevor stared at his phone for a long moment with a frown, reading the words over at least three times before making himself lift his head. Beyond his sister and her boyfriend, he could see the front of the restaurant and the big windows there that let people look inside. Just outside, looking very happy with himself, was  _ Deke.  _ It was a nice restaurant, and they'd agreed that they were both going to dress up at least a little bit, but this was just a  _ bit _ more than he expected.

Where there was normally some form of corduroy or leather, Deke had on a thicker coat that hung open to reveal the black jacket and tie underneath. He couldn't see any lower than that thanks to the decorative frosting on the windows, but it was probably safe to assume that the nice clothes didn't end at his waist. And Trevor was immediately aware of how dry his mouth was.

He reached forward to take a sip from his glass of water, suddenly feeling underdressed with his own button up shirt and sweater. Of course, that movement was enough to draw his sister's attention from where she had been looking at the menu, and she was quick to twist in her seat so that she could follow his gaze, which was still locked on his fake boyfriend. Deke, at least, while he had made his way through the door, was too far away to hear the comment she made.

"Holy  _ shit,  _ Trev. Where did you find him? In a  _ magazine?" _

Taking a deep breath, Trevor resisted the urge to splash her with some of the condensation on his fingers when he set his glass down. Instead, he stood up with a smile that was only somewhat forced. Even if their relationship was a sham, he'd grown used to some kind of presence from Deke, whether or not they were in the same room. During the week they'd been apart, they'd texted every day, talking about things that didn't really matter to their charade. They'd talked about everything from whatever was on TV at that exact moment to piles of unread books and citrus fruits and old scars, both physical and emotional. It was the most he'd opened up to  _ anyone  _ since moving away from home.

Deke didn't need any signal for what to do next, it seemed, and their hands moved toward each other at almost exactly the same time. For just a few moments, when their fingers brushed and then palm touched palm, he could forget that they were in the middle of a restaurant, that he was supposed to be focusing on figuring out what he wanted to eat so that they could be finished long before midnight and be at whatever party he was sure they'd be dragged to. And then there was the urge that crossed his mind, just because it would be so easy. He could lean in the few inches still between them, and a kiss on the cheek wasn't nearly as dangerous as one on the lips, when it came to developing feelings, it would just be a  _ greeting,  _ of a purely platonic variety.

Avi cleared her throat, the sound enough to pull his attention away from his thoughts and his gaze to the other side of the table. It was probably a good thing, considering that he had rules to follow where their arrangement was concerned and they weren't exactly  _ alone.  _ Introductions should be made before he got too caught up in the warmth in his chest and did something he would regret. 

"Right, sorry. Deke, this is my sister, Aveline, and her boyfriend, Sam. Guys, this is Deke,  _ my  _ boyfriend." Something about the sentence only made that inner warmth harder to ignore, and Trevor could feel his heart starting to beat a bit faster. Somehow, they'd mostly avoided using the pretend title for each other at the Christmas party, but the  _ plus one _ joke didn't really work in the context of New Year's dinner with his sister. "Please be nice."

They settled into their seats, close enough that their knees brushed under the table, and there was a new ease to the air that hadn't been there when he was playing the awkward third wheel. Even when the interrogation started, he could still feel the brush of Deke's leg so close to his, and when it came to questions from his sister, they were completely prepared.

**(** _ "so, how did you two love birds meet?" _

_ "at the mall. it was kind of funny, actually, I was looking at a rack of discount costumes, and Trevor wasn't paying attention-" _

_ "-oh, we both know it was you who bumped into me, don't start that." _

_ "all I remember is that you bought popcorn when we went to the movie to make up for it." _

_ "whatever helps you sleep at night, babe."  _ **)**

-

Even when they spent almost an hour eating and chatting and doing nothing productive in terms of the timeline for the evening, they were still ahead of schedule. Their annual outing had been all but perfected over the years, and they'd only ever run late once, in a situation that had nothing to do with their planning skills and everything to do with the chaos of the world they lived in.

"Okay, okay, hold on, you guys have to settle something for us." Trevor leaned closer to the table with a smile, supporting some of his weight with his elbow. They'd all had a little bit of champagne with dinner, so they couldn't go anywhere yet, and the conversation had taken a few turns since the appetizer course. At the moment, it was on Deke and his history, or at least, the very loose history that everyone at the table knew and understood. "So,  _ physically,  _ Deke is a couple years older than me, right? But he isn't gonna be born for like thirty more years."

"Oh, stop it." The man in question cut in quickly, shaking his head. "You've been trying to prove a ridiculous point for a week and a half, and I still don't think it makes any sense."

Trevor shushed him with a wave of his hand, only glancing over at him for a short moment with a smaller, softer smile. That wasn't even a lie for their story, and the text conversations they had could prove it. "You're a temporal displacement who hasn't been born yet. You're  _ younger _ than me."

There was a tipsy giggle from across the table, and it was Avi who quickly shook her head. "No, no, Trev-bug, he's right. Time got all  _ wonky _ when the temporal shit happened, and now  _ when _ people were born doesn't matter. If he's physically older than you, then that's that."

He let out a groan, shaking his head before stabbing at the cheesecake in front of him with a fork. If he was going to make any progress in this argument, he was going to have to play dirty. "I don't know. Sam? You've been pretty quiet on the subject. Do you think that Deke is older or younger than the rest of us?"

"Uhm..." For a moment, he almost felt bad for the kid. The first family gathering he got invited along to, and he was being pulled into an argument between him and  _ Avi.  _ There was no winning answer, and the argument would likely go on for the rest of the night. But... "Well, even if time isn't normal, anymore, we still use the same year count we've always used. If Deke's birthdate is in our future, then he is legally younger than us."

Maybe there was a winning answer.

_ "Thank you,  _ Sam. Someone at this table sees  _ sense." _

Deke scoffed from next to him, setting his glass of water down on the table before leaning closer to Trevor's side with a grin. "Enough about  _ me,  _ let's talk about something else fun. We can go round and round about the logic of timelines all night long, and it'll get boring. Aveline, what's your favorite fun fact about Trevor. Make it crazy. Make it fun. I like learning new things."

At that, her eyes all but lit up, and she shot her brother a pointed look before speaking. “Has he told you about the time he went to karaoke night in high school and completely  _ butchered  _ the song from  _ The Breakfast Club?” _

_ “Avi,  _ don’t-”

“Don’t what, Trev-bug? Don’t tell your boyfriend an embarrassing story? What kind of sister would I be if I let this opportunity pass me by?”

Trevor let out a groan, turning his full attention back to his dessert in hopes that he wouldn’t have to participate in the conversation. If they  _ both _ followed the rules, the entire situation would be shut down before it could get worse, and even if he had accidentally broken a rule at the Christmas party, there was no way Deke would actively encourage this. 

He was wrong. 

“Wait, wait, wait, that’s like his favorite movie and his favorite song. How can you actively enjoy and sing along to a movie for years and  _ still  _ sing badly during karaoke?”

Trevor pouted, not looking up from his plate. “I was  _ nervous.  _ I don’t like singing in front of people. And I was pretty drunk, too, that didn’t help.”

With a shake of her head, Avi pointed her fork at her brother. “See, Trev-bug? This is what you get for turning my boyfriend against me.”

“He  _ voluntarily  _ agreed with me!”

-

The fact that Avi had done the research to find the  _ perfect _ club for them to spend the rest of the night at didn’t surprise anyone. There were only a few more hours until midnight, and while they were all a bit tired, that could be easily remedied until they could call a Lyft to get them all home safely. That remedy, of course, was a round of drinks readily paid for by Sam. 

**(** _ “just as a thank you for letting me stay in your spare room, too.” _

_ “oh my god, you don’t have to keep thanking me.” _

_ “Trev-bug, shut up and take the free beer.”  _ **)**

For the most part, the only difference in the crowd from a normal night was what people were wearing. They were all dressed to party, in dresses or tight jeans, with hats and glasses for the New Year worn proudly, and while a few other people were dressed nicer, they still stood out in their fancier attire. 

Deke was trying to make the most of it, tugging at his tie so that it hung loose while he sipped at his drink. He didn’t know what was in it, and he was a little afraid to ask, but it was  _ good,  _ which meant he did drink it. He wouldn’t be sharing the story with his friends or family any time soon, because some of them would worry, but Trevor had ordered it for him, and he trusted his judgement. 

When his cup was empty, and a quick glance told him that everyone else had finished their drinks, too, he leaned closer to the group and tried to speak up over the blaring music. “Does anyone else need a refill? Next round’s on me.” Avi nodded eagerly, letting out an excited  _ whoop _ over the music while Sam shot him a thumbs up. Turning around, he reached for Trevor's hand without thinking about the action and gently pulled him closer. "What did you get me? I can't remember the name of it."

The smile he got in return was bright, and it made warmth settle into his stomach while his shoulders relaxed. "It's a  _ lemon drop!  _ Don't have too many - they taste good, but there's  _ a lot _ of alcohol in them."

Deke nodded his head with a small grin before stepping away and reluctantly letting go. He was familiar with the feeling, the happiness that had been bubbling up from wherever it had been hiding deep inside him for the last two weeks. A part of him was starting to get comfortable with it, with being  _ content,  _ and he knew that was dangerous, but he didn't  _ want _ to stop. If he was happy, then he didn't have to be so anxious all the time, like everything might crash down around him.

Leaning against the bar when he approached, he gave the four drink order to the man mixing drinks just beyond it. The warmth was still there, buzzing just beneath his skin in time with the bass from the speakers, and he savored it. He savored it for as long as he could, because in a few days, it would all be over. He would have to say goodbye to this relationship he'd started to get comfortable in and potentially to the man who had helped him feel it so deeply in the first place. Derailing that train of thought quickly, Deke made himself relax. It was something for the future, not that night. For a few more hours, he could just pretend that this happiness and everything that was causing it was  _ real. _

_ "Deke?  _ Oh, my god, it's been  _ ages!" _

The familiar voice was enough to make that warm feeling completely disappear. He shifted his weight to lean more of it against the bar while putting a few more inches of space between himself and the new presence next to him. It really had been a while since they'd spoken, and that was on purpose. If it had been up to him, they never would have spoken to or seen each other again. "Hey, Sequoia..."

She stepped closer, either oblivious to him leaning away from her or just not caring, and her hand came to rest on his arm. It was a gentle touch, which wasn't entirely uncommon, but he flinched regardless. Of course, he was waiting on  _ four  _ drinks instead of just his own, which meant he was stuck there. Even if he wanted to run back over to his fake boyfriend and their small group, to  _ safety,  _ he couldn't.

-

Trevor watched the people on the dance floor, including his sister and her date, while he waited for Deke to get back with the drinks. Some of his weight was resting against the decorative railing that sectioned off parts of the club away from the dancers, likely so nothing got spilled as often. With a soft sigh, he turned to glance over at the bar, seeking out his own date with his eyes and immediately relaxing when he found him.

At least, until he noticed the hand on Deke's arm and the tension in his shoulders. Slowly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and took a picture as subtly as he could. The image was a bit blurry when he sent off the text, but it would hopefully be visible enough for him to get an answer.

[ text | to: **Earth-QUAKE** ] _[image attachment]_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Earth-QUAKE** ] _sorry it's grainy af_  
[ text | to: **Earth-QUAKE** ] _should I be worried?_  
[ text | from: **Earth-QUAKE** ] _fuck_  
[ text | from: **Earth-QUAKE** ] _hold on_

[ incoming call | from:  **Earth-QUAKE** ]

Hesitating for a moment, Trevor slowly lifted his phone to his ear with a small frown and brought his other hand up to try to block out some of the sound from the club. Her initial response to the photo didn’t leave him feeling optimistic, and something like worry coiled in his gut. “Hello...?”

_ “How long has she been there?” _

“He just went to get another round of drinks like two minutes ago. Daisy, I-”

_ “Trevor, that’s Sequoia.” _

At the words, he felt something cold grip him, something like fear. He’d only heard the name once, before, at the Christmas party when they’d had time for a brief conversation alone, but he knew who it was. Deke’s ex who had once put him in the hospital, maybe even more than once. She was the very last person he ever wanted to have the displeasure of meeting. 

_ “Get him out of there. Where are you? Lincoln hasn’t been drinking. If you need us to come pick you up, we can.” _

“What? No, no, uh... my sister and her boyfriend are here. Strength in numbers, right?” Taking a deep breath, Trevor glanced toward the bar again and felt something hot replace the cold -  _ anger,  _ some protective force that didn’t want to see his boyfriend get hurt anymore, even if their relationship was fake. “I’m gonna go. I’ll text you to keep you updated.”

_ “Okay, go! Let us know if you need any help dealing with her! We both have powers, so we can easily take her in a fight.” _

“Thanks, Daisy, I’ll let you know.”

-

He was pressed so close to the bar counter that the edge of it likely left a bruise on his hip. Sequoia had kept moving closer, her hand still on his arm and gently adjusting the sleeve of his jacket. That wasn’t entirely unfamiliar - the little adjustments, the gentle criticisms, every little problem that she managed to find. That was just how their relationship had  _ worked,  _ and he’d hated every second of it. 

“Are you here alone? You should come hang out with me and the girls. We wouldn’t want you to be lonely at midnight.”

Deke tried to shift back and away from her again, but he was stopped by an arm that was too strong to budge and... wrapping around his waist. His eyes went wide while he turned his head, looking over at Trevor and immediately letting himself feel  _ relief.  _ He wasn’t alone, anymore, and that made it easier just to breathe and  _ think.  _

“Hey, babe, I thought you might need a few extra hands to carry the drinks. Oh,” he put surprise into his voice while his fingers drifted under Deke’s untucked shirt, gently brushing over the skin there with his thumb. “Hi, I’m Trevor, Deke’s boyfriend. I didn’t know he had other friends coming, tonight.”

“I don’t.” The words were barely more than a mumble, far too quiet for Sequoia to hear, but just loud enough that he was certain Trevor had. The only confirmation he needed was the tightened hold around his waist. 

Seemingly unfazed, Trevor brushed his thumb over his skin again and pressed his lips to Deke’s cheek in a gentle kiss. Suddenly, it was a very good thing that he was holding him as tightly as he was, because between the touch and the kiss, Deke wasn’t entirely sure his knees were going to be able to support his own weight. “Oh, I think those are our drinks.”

Sequoia, for her part, looked adequately frustrated while he scowled and turned to walk away, completely ignoring the voice that called out to her over the music. “It was nice meeting you!”

As soon as they were alone again, Trevor let his smile drop away and turned his attention back to Deke. The worry was clear in his eyes while he gently pulled his arm away to help him the few feet to the nearest stool so that he could sit down. “Hey, take a deep breath. Are you okay? I can see if Avi had any back up party ideas, if you want to leave, or Daisy offered to come pick us up...”

“You talked to  _ Daisy _ about this?” Letting out a groan, Deke twisted so that he could put his head down on the bar. Their drinks could wait a few minutes, while he considered how his life had reached rock bottom. If his fake boyfriend knew all of the dirty details of his dating past, then their friendship definitely wouldn’t continue beyond the arrangement they’d made. He’d been stupid to even hope for it. 

“I mean... you looked tense, and I worried, and Daisy gave me the whole  _ if I hurt you _ speech last weekend, so...” Trevor let out a sigh, staying close to his side with a weak frown. “I texted her, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining it, and as soon as I knew what was going on, I came over here to make sure you were okay.”

Deke groaned again, the sound muffled enough that even he could barely hear it over the music. 

“Do you want to go? Do you want me to fight Sequoia? Because I’ll do it, if you want me to. It might be a fun way to ring in the new year.”

At that, he actually managed a smile and lifted his head from the bar. A few stressful minutes didn’t mean his night was a complete bust. “No, it’s okay... let’s get these drinks back over to the table and try to have a good night. I... definitely don’t want Daisy and Lincoln to come get us. Then we’d have to deal with their pity party all night, and I’d rather just...”

“Yeah, of course.” A moment later, Trevor rested his hand at the small of his back - present, reassuring, careful, all the things that brought back the warm happiness that had disappeared. “It’s probably for the best. If Avi and Daisy meet, neither of us would ever know peace again.”

-

For the rest of the night, Deke didn’t stray far from Trevor’s side. He felt like he kept looking over his shoulder, anxious and on edge. Any glimpse of dark hair under the flashing lights made his shoulders tense that much more, and it likely didn’t go unnoticed that he was all but pressed into Trevor’s side once their third round of drinks was gone. The same protective arm had curled around his waist, keeping him close to the table they’d taken up in the corner, and that was all he needed to relax, just a little bit. 

The music had stopped playing while midnight approached, everyone chatting instead of dancing to fill the air. Avi and Sam had gone off to get champagne for the countdown, leaving them alone to guard the space, and their corner had fallen quiet. Slowly, Deke rested his head against his shoulder, letting out a slow breath. 

“If you knew about Sequoia, you broke a rule.”

“You encouraged my sister to tell you embarrassing things. You broke a rule, too.”

“You kissed my cheek. You broke two.”

Quiet fell between them again, whispering and a hush falling over the club when the clock showed a thirty second countdown. They were getting closer to the new year, closer to the end of whatever fake relationship they’d kept intact, and a part of him still didn’t want it to end. 

_ 28, 27, 26... _

Trevor’s arm was still around him and it was instinct to stay leaned in close. The sweater against his cheek was soft, and he smelled like the fruity drinks they’d been sipping on all night, and the moment was so perfect he wanted to memorize every detail. 

_ 21, 20, 19... _

Pulling back a bit, Deke took a deep breath before lifting his chin to look up at him. Trevor was staring at the big countdown, so it was hard to read his expression, but it didn’t matter. Just the reminder that he wasn’t completely alone, that he had someone he could rely on, even temporarily, was enough. 

_ 14, 13, 12... _

Trevor looked down after a few moments, meeting his gaze with a soft smile. Breaking a few rules on one of the last nights of their act wasn’t a big deal, really. It was harmless, and they were only human. They couldn’t be expected to be  _ perfect. _

_ 7, 6, 5... _

They were still alone, and neither of them looked away to see if drinks were coming. The countdown was mostly forgotten and only in the back of their minds because the numbers were being chanted all around them. 

_ 4... _

“Hey, Trev?”

_ 3... _

“Hmm...?”

_ 2... _

“If you’re gonna break a rule, do it right.”

_ 1... _

“What-?”

**(** _ not letting himself hesitate, Deke reached up and put his hand on the back of Trevor’s neck to pull him down. just as the countdown ended, their lips met, and the champagne they’d been waiting on was the last thing on their minds. between kisses, they could hear cheering and music and see the flashing lights starting back up, but none of that mattered. they had each other, and they didn’t need any other distractions.  _ **)**

-

[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _home safe?_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _she didn’t bother you all night, did she?_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _I’ll kick her ass_  
[ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _this is why you’re my best friend_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _not home but safe_  
[ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _we drank too much so i’m crashing at Trevor’s_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _look at you making good decisions_  
[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _proud of you_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Quaker Oats** ] _aw thanks_

[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _Daisy said Sequoia sighting?_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _are you okay?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _i’m fine i wasn’t alone_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _tell Nana so she stops worrying too_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _get some rest and text us in the morning_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _we worry no matter what_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _i think this is the nicest you’ve ever been to me_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _oh sorry_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _I worry because you’re incompetent_  
[ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _(that was a joke)_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _yeah, Bobo i got that_

[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _I’m going to bed but I have work tomorrow so I’ll be up early if you need a ride_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _Daisy said you didn’t go home and I just wanted to give you the option_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _even if you don’t take the offer, text me when you get home safe_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _everyone is doing the worried check in tonight_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _i appreciate it but it’s not necessary_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _it’s because we care_ _  
_ [ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _it’s weird and i need it to stop until i’m sober_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _get some sleep_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _stay hydrated_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _juice will help more than coffee_  
[ text | to: **Pikachu** ] _thanks doc_

-

This had always been the plan. They'd help each other lie to their families for a few weeks and then go their separate ways. Only, now that it was actually coming to an end, Trevor didn't want to let it. They'd already broken nearly every rule they'd set in place at the beginning of their arrangement. What was the harm in breaking one more?

He took a deep breath before stepping into the mall, because that's what had made the most sense. They should end it where it began, and that meant meeting Deke by the fountain when the only thing he wanted to do was turn around and keep pretending. Would it really be so bad, keeping up the charade? They'd have plus ones for other events, excuses if they wanted to get out of something, a reason to call out of work sick... there were so many perks to their arrangement that they'd never even considered. And, when he saw the silhouette of the very man he was there to meet, they were far from his mind.

He'd agreed to ending it when he'd suggested starting it in the first place, and as much as he hated it, he couldn't back out, now.

Trevor took a deep breath before walking around the stone fountain slowly, reaching out to take the hand waiting for him once he was close enough. Even if it was just an agreement coming to an end, they were still pretending until the words were said. And he  _ really  _ wanted to hold on to this for as long as he could, whether that was for a few minutes or, by some miracle, forever. Or maybe he'd been watching too many Hallmark movies, but there was nothing wrong with wanting a happy ending every once in a while.

There was something unreadable in Deke's eyes when he turned around, clashing with the soft smile on his face while he shook his head. "Hey... so, this is the part where we break up, huh?"

Taking a deep breath, he made himself nod while forcing a smile of his own. "Yeah, I guess so."

There was a long beat of quiet between them, the only sounds around them the chatter of the other mall patrons and the water flowing through the fountain next to them. They were still holding onto each other's hand, palms pressed together and fingers entwined, creating a pocket of warmth that threatened to expand to his chest.

Slowly, Trevor made himself pull back, both with his hand and a small step, and he forced his smile a bit wider. It was all an act. It was never real. He could keep pretending - that this wasn't crushing him, that he didn't regret letting himself grow so attached - just for a little while. "Well, if you ever need another plus one to anything, or if you... wanna go bowling...? You have my number."

"Right, yeah..." Deke took his own step back and put his hands in his pockets. "You, too. Have my number, I mean... I might text for like, movie recommendations. I feel like you know a lot about things like that."

Trevor chuckled softly, shaking his head slowly. "Sometimes. I watch a lot of movies. It's kind of disappointing I only got to take you to one." He could feel his cheeks growing warm, and while the pink under his skin would be subtle but still visible. That would only make this all so much harder. "Text me for anything, seriously. Even if you just need a Sequoia escape, or something. Especially then. But, I should, uh... I should make sure Avi hasn't broken anything in my kitchen..."

He got a nod in return, the smile on Deke's face smaller but not any less genuine than it had been. "Yeah, of course. I'll see you around, Trev..."

-

After the short and depressing trip to the mall, Deke went home and curled up in bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, he let out a heavy sigh and tried to make himself relax under the blankets. He hadn't expected the break up in his very fake relationship to feel so heartbreakingly real. He could feel his phone buzzing away from where it was hidden in the blankets nearby, but he didn't have the energy to reach for it. No one else knew about the break up, yet, and the longer he kept it that way, the easier it would be to just ignore it.

Deke rolled onto his side with a huff, squeezing his eyes shut. For just one day, he wanted to try to block out reality and get some real rest. It wasn't like he'd really don't that since the holidays. When so much of his life revolved around the act he had to put on, he was too stressed to get more than a few hours of sleep a night. Now, he finally had time, and-

His phone buzzed again, and he sat up with a groan before fishing it out of the blankets to check the notifications. There were missed texts, mostly from his grandmother and Daisy, and a couple missed calls that looked like spam. It wasn't anything that needed to be handled right away, but he checked everything to get rid of the notifications regardless.

[ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _double date night friday?_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Quaker Oats** ] _Lincoln is already making reservations at this fancy place downtown and adding too more wouldn't be any trouble_

[ missed call | from: **Pikachu** ]  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _okay it was stupid to call because you never answer_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _I'm making the reservations after my shift tonight_  
[ text | from: **Pikachu** ] _just let me know by 6 if you wanna join!_

[ text | from: **Nana** ] _family game night next weekend_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _no it's not optional_  
[ text | from: **Nana** ] _bring Trevor!_

With another heavy sigh, Deke squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening up the group chat. It would be enough to notify the three people who had been texting him and his grandfather, and as far as he was concerned, no one else needed to know about it until the next annual Mackenzie holiday party.

[ text | to:  **Just a Bunch of Chaos Bis** ]  _ trevor and i broke up _

And then he turned off his notifications and laid back down under the blankets.

-

It wasn’t until morning that Deke had the energy to check his phone again, and even then he didn’t have the energy to read anything that had been sent to the group chat. Instead, he opened up the text conversation that had exactly one notification and made himself eat toast while he read it. His grumbling stomach insisted he needed food, even if his emotions were still too overwhelming to make any kind of actual meal.

[ text | from:  **Bobo the Fool** ]  _ I’m here if you want to talk about it _

With a sigh, he set his phone down and finished his meager breakfast. Even if he did want to talk about it all, that meant telling someone that it was fake, and apparently he couldn’t trust Lincoln not to gossip. If it got to Daisy, it would get to everyone. If he told Nana, then Bobo would know anyway - but telling Bobo didn’t necessarily mean the reverse. They’d kept plenty of secrets, over the years, from birthday gifts to major future events, and whatever he talked about, now, would get the same treatment. 

[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _can we do lunch?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _my treat_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _confidential?_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _confidential_  
[ text | to: **Bobo the Fool** ] _sandwich place downtown?_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Bobo the Fool** ] _sounds good to me_

Tucking his phone away, Deke turned around so he could clean up from breakfast. If he was going out to lunch, then he should probably shower and get dressed in actual clothes. 

-

[ text | from:  **Earth-QUAKE** ]  _ fuck you. _

Trevor frowned while he moved around the apartment, trying to find anything that his sister might have missed while packing. The text had come in overnight, and while he knew it was an emotional reaction to the act that they’d put on, it still hurt. He hadn’t considered that their fake relationship would gain him a new friend, or that he would lose all of it when it ended. 

“Avi! Sweatshirt!”

He held up the garment he’d found under the coffee table, bracing himself moments before she launched herself onto him for a hug. It was tighter than normal, and he supposed that was a side effect of the fake break up, too. “Thank you so much, Trev-Bug. I’m sorry you have to help me when you’re sad.”

Trevor sighed and put his arms around her, gently hugging her closer to his side. If he could remind himself that it was fake, maybe it would hurt a little less. “It’s okay. At least one of us is starting out the New Year with a steady boyfriend. You did good, Little Bug.”

She shook her head, pulling away from him with a groan. “You’re doing the stupid big brother thing. I know I asked for your approval, but can’t you just text me about it when I’m home again? You’re so  _ weird.” _

With a laugh, he kissed her hair before letting her go, shaking the sweatshirt again. “Don’t forget this. I’m not paying shipping to send it across the country.”

Avi snatched it from his hand before heading back toward the spare bedroom. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I might have to wear it. That stupid sweater you got me takes up too much of my suitcase.”

_ “Fleece Navidad!” _

“Fleece Navi-screw-you!”

-

It wasn’t particularly easy to get any real  _ privacy _ at the little shop they’d chosen to have lunch at, so they were seated at one of the outside tables, where there would be a bit more space around them. At the very least, the only eavesdroppers would be the people walking past, and it would be hard to get the details on the situation if they only caught a sentence or two. It was the best they were going to get. 

Fitz had finished his sandwich within minutes of sitting down, watching quietly while Deke picked at his own lunch. Neither of them had said a word in nearly half an hour, and considering he hadn’t even managed to get his grandson to look him in the eye, he was starting to worry. “Did you actually want to talk, or did you just want an opportunity to eat lunch in silence?”

“When do I ever pass up an opportunity like that, Bobo?” The smirk on his face was small and weak, but there, which was better than the rest of the time they’d spent together. “I can’t just buy you a sandwich and have a peaceful afternoon?”

Grunting a response, Fitz slowly shook his head and put a fry in his mouth. “You don’t really do  _ peaceful.” _

Deke frowned at the words, putting his barely touched sandwich down again. “I can do peaceful. I can sit quietly and mind my own business, it’s just that I don’t normally  _ want to.  _ Right now, I’m exhausted, and heartbroken, and I will get to the story at my own pace.” He stopped for a moment, taking a slow breath and squeezing his eyes shut while he gathered his thoughts. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he got worked up and closed himself up. "It... it wasn't real. None of it was. I was just the idiot who let myself get feelings for someone I never had a shot with."

Fitz hesitated before shifting in his seat to sit up straighter, frowning with concern. "Deke, it's not fake just because it was temporary. Clearly, you had  _ some _ shot with him, if you were dating in the first place. Something ending doesn't make it any less real."

"No, Bobo, it was  _ fake.  _ It was all an act. We met two weeks ago, and I needed a plus one for the Christmas party, and he'd lied to his sister about a boyfriend, so we just... acted. We were always going to break up yesterday." He let out a slow sigh, looking down at his food again with a frown. "He was cute, and sweet, and so when he came up with the idea to pretend, for a couple weekends, I just..."

"You said yes." With a frown, Fitz watched him for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry. If it helps, you aren't in the wrong to feel the way you do. Every break up hurts, whether it was real or not."

Scoffing at that, Deke kept his eyes down and shook his head. "What do you know about that? You have Nana, and Daisy has Lincoln, and Mack has Yoyo... I  _ thought _ I had Trevor, or I could let myself believe that when we kissed on New Year's, but... now I don't. Everyone else has someone, but I'm still just me."

"First of all, there's nothing wrong with being just you." He was cut off quickly before he could keep talking, and a glance across the table revealed that his grandfather was giving him a very pointed look. He didn't quite know what the look meant, but he had a feeling it was important. "You can miss anyone you want, you can miss a situation, and you can wish things went differently, but sometimes being just you is what's best for the moment. That being said, I wouldn't stop you from fighting for him." After another moment of quiet, Fitz sat up straighter and his expression became even more unreadable. "And... look, none of us had our partners from the start. Mack and Yoyo danced around each other for years. Daisy and Lincoln only met because he  _ happened _ to be on call when you needed a ride. Jemma and I both almost ended up with other people instead of each other. The entire universe is chaos that can't be controlled, so when it comes to the little things... control them as much as you can."

Deke narrowed his eyes in confusion, shaking his head with a frown. "Wait, back up. What do you  _ mean  _ you almost ended up with other people? You and Nana are like... peanut butter and jelly, or macaroni and cheese, or... other things that go really well together. When were you guys ever  _ not _ completely infatuated with each other?"

"In school? She had boyfriends, and I had boyfriends... we only made it this far because those situations didn't work out. It hurt, those break ups, but those relationships weren't what we needed."

Slowly, Deke picked up his sandwich again, speaking before he took a bite.  _ "You  _ had boyfriends? Plural? Then why is the only one I've heard about the shitty one?"

Fitz closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. "Daisy told you about Grant, yeah, I know.  _ But,  _ Grant Ward is not the only boyfriend I've had. And... don't tell Jemma this, because she barely knows it happened, but there is one break up I still think about." He met Deke's gaze, the wide, curious eyes quiet with the food stuffed in his mouth. "I had this boyfriend, Matthew Scott, at school, who was...  _ perfect.  _ He was smart, and attractive, and... yeah, sometimes I regret breaking up with him."

"You have regrets?" Shaking his head, Deke pulled the sandwich away from his mouth. "But you're not even a dad, yet."

"I'm your grumpy Bobo and you'll let me live my life as such." He coughed out a laugh and shook his head again before gesturing for his grandfather to continue. "Yeah, I have some regrets. One of them is breaking things off with Matthew. I don't regret that it  _ happened,  _ because I like my life the way it is, and I wouldn't change anything, but I do regret that it  _ had  _ to happen at all. I think... we're both good people, and we didn't deserve to hurt like that in order to earn our happiness."

"And? What about on his end? Are there any hard feelings there?"

"I hope not." Fitz shook his head with a weak chuckle, shaking his head. "Deke, he's a  _ doctor.  _ He's going to be at the wedding this summer because he and Lincoln were residents together."

Deke grinned, opening his mouth to speak before closing it again when he got a very specific look that he  _ did _ know the meaning of. After a moment, he took a deep breath and let his expression fade into something more neutral, and then outright unhappy. "Was there a point in telling me about him?"

With a shrug, his grandfather finished one of the french fries from his basket before speaking. "The relationship I had wasn't meant to be my life forever, that break up  _ had _ to happen. What I'm saying with this, is... maybe yours and Trevor's didn't. But you don't know until you do something about it."

Deke let out a soft sigh and hit a button on his phone to turn the screen on. "Well, I can't do anything about it, today. He's probably already at the airport."

_ "The airport?" _

"Yes...?"

"Come on. Let's go."

With a small frown, he watched Fitz throw a few bills on the table and get to his feet. "I said I would pay for lunch. Where are we even going?"

"To the airport."

-

Shuffling through the rotating door that led to the airport's main lobby, Trevor adjusted his grip on the handle of his sister's suitcase. Technically, she could probably handle pulling it herself, but walking her to security was part of their tradition, and it gave him something to focus on that wasn't the ache. He could probably text Deke himself, to plan a time to hang out or watch a movie, but he didn't want to push his boundaries, and not hearing anything for almost a whole day was wearing on him more than he thought it would.

Since when was he this  _ clingy? _

When they stopped walking and the suitcases were checked in and he had nothing to do with his hands, it was a relief when Avi pulled him in for a hug. Automatically, he returned the embrace and let her linger for as long as she needed to. They likely wouldn't see each other again until the summer, for their birthdays, and that was simply too much time between visits. Sometimes, they just needed a few extra seconds to hang on.

"I'm sorry my trip ended on such a bad note. Are you  _ sure _ you don't want us to change our flight to tomorrow, instead?"

"I'm sure. Go home, have a good week before classes start up again." Trevor gently ran his fingers through his sister's hair with a soft sigh. "I'll be okay, I promise. I've been through break ups before."

"But not with someone who made you that happy."

He let out a sigh and started to pull back with a small shake of his head. The sooner they started the short walk toward security, the sooner he could go home and wait for the texts that weren't coming. "Text me when you land, okay? And when you get home safe. I don't care how late it is, I want the texts."

Avi scoffed, shaking her head while they walked. "Trev-Bug, I'm going to forget that request as soon as we're in the air. I love you, really, but you need to stop forgetting that my brain will not hold onto information like that."

"Well, that's why you have me." Sam shook his head while reaching for her hand, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. "I'll remember to remind you to text, you'll tell me random animal facts, and we'll both be up until two in the morning. It'll be fun."

Trevor smiled while he watched them, shaking his head. "See? I knew there was a reason I liked him."

"Yeah, because he agreed with you when it came to whether or not your ex-boyfriend is actually older than you or not."

"My  _ fake  _ ex-boyfriend." The correction slipped out before he could stop it, and Trevor squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before taking a deep breath. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know that they were staring at him, that the line to security was close, but not close enough to free him from the embarrassing confession he had to make. "Deke and I... we were never actually dating. He'd lied to his friends about having a plus one to a Christmas party, and I'd lied to you about having a boyfriend for you to meet this weekend, and I was too scared to  _ actually _ ask him out, so I just..."

"Trevor-"

"So I suggested we fake it, and then break it off once we didn't need the cover story anymore. Only, it was  _ really nice,  _ even if it was only pretend, and we put all these rules in place so we wouldn't actually get attached and develop feelings for each other, in case we wanted to still be friends, after."

_ "Trevor-" _

"And of course I still want to be his friend, because he's a really great guy, but I don't know if I  _ can _ when I have all these feelings that I'm trying to work out-"

_ "Trevor, turn around!" _

It ended up being Sam who grabbed him by his shoulders and spun him around to face the revolving door, and the person who had just run through it. The pink corduroy was easy to spot and even easier to identify, and the warmth that filled his chest could only be described as  _ relief.  _ Because if he was here, if he was running toward them like  _ that,  _ then there weren't that many possible explanations.

“Deke...?”

After a moment, he was able to make himself move, to take one step and then another until the motion was fluid and easy. In seconds, they were close enough that they had to stop or risk crashing into each other, and then the quiet fell. There was the noise around them, people trying to check in for their flights and get to security on time, overhead announcements about what to expect in the TSA line, bags rolling across the carpet, but between the two of them there was nothing. 

Trevor didn’t know if he was supposed to be the one to break the silence or not. If Deke had shown up at the airport in such a rush, then he clearly had something important to discuss with him, too important to leave to a text conversation or another day. He just hoped it was a  _ good  _ discussion and not some emergency. 

In the end, it was Deke who spoke first, still somewhat out of breath from running all the way from the doors. “I broke more than just the rules you know about. We kissed on New Year’s, that’s one. I let Avi tell me the stupid karaoke story, that’s two. But I broke a third one, too...”

With a small, watery smile, Trevor shook his head and took a slow breath. “Good... I was really worried I’d been the only one to break three rules...”

Deke let out a surprised laugh and opened his mouth to speak again, but he didn’t get the chance to say the words. Instead, he was cut off by hands cupping his cheeks, and Trevor pulled his lips up to his own for a soft, patient kiss. Because there was no time limit, no expiration date, no reason to try to rush things along. There was no act to keep up, just  _ them,  _ for real. And it felt like Hallmark.

**(** _ "so, you're staying in New York?" _

_ "what?" _

_ "Bobo, Trevor was never leaving. he was dropping off his sister." _

_ "then why did we rush here?" _

_ "because you insisted on it!"  _ **)**


	3. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The epilogue for this fic and the final installment in my 2020 fic writing journey!
> 
> I hope everyone has a happy new year, and 2021 treats you all better than 2020 did! 💜

Staring at himself in the mirror, Deke took a deep breath and tried to adjust his tie for the fourth time. The hand on his shoulder that gently turned him around was steady, and when it moved to his tie to straighten it for him, he let out a soft sigh before meeting his  _ very real _ boyfriend's gaze.

Since their maybe a little too dramatic moment at the airport back in January, he and Trevor had been practically inseparable. Between nights with take out and movies, spontaneous lunches, and the family game nights that he was  _ required _ to invite Trevor along to, according to Nana, they simply didn't have the  _ time _ to be apart. It was fine with them, but a few people had some thoughts on the matter.

"Trev, I appreciate you making sure he looks good, but I need to borrow my best man for a minute." Lincoln leaned into the room from the adjoining one, the door slid open just enough that he could get his shoulders through. From that vantage point alone, they could see that he wasn't fully dressed, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging open while he frowned. "Small crisis. It shouldn't take too long. I can probably have him back to you before the ceremony."

Trevor shook his head and kissed Deke's cheek before stepping back. "I should go find a spot to sit, anyway. Take him for as long as you need."

Deke reached for his hand before he could get too far, shaking his head. "My speech-"

"Is written very neatly on notecards that I have stored in my pocket. I'll keep them safe until dinner."

"And the plane tickets?"

"For our trip? Well, that's not for another couple weeks, so I haven't printed them out yet."

"No, Trevor, for the honeymoon."

"Oh. You, as the best man, were supposed to grab those off the kitchen table when we left your place yesterday." Trevor watched him for a moment before letting himself smile with a small shake of his head. "Which is why I grabbed them as soon as I realized how flustered you still were over giving a speech. They're in my pocket, next to the notecards. Go, help your friend, I'll see you later?'

Taking a slow breath, Deke made himself nod and squeezed his boyfriend's hand before letting go. "You're the best."

He watched him go, only turning to face Lincoln again when the door to the hallway was closed. The man across the room let out a sigh before shaking his head. "I know he was joking, but I think my heart stopped. Why does he do that?"

"He's a Virgo." Deke shook his head and walked over, giving a small shrug of his shoulders.

"You have no idea what that means, do you?"

"I heard Daisy say it, once, but yeah, I don't know what that means at all."

Lincoln scoffed and waved him into the next room, explaining as they went. "It just means he was born during a certain time of year. Some people think that determines certain aspects of someone's personality - Virgos tend to be very organized, Tauruses tend to be very stubborn, Leos demand a lot of attention, stuff like that."

Shaking his head again, Deke frowned a bit and made sure the door slid closed behind them. "Yeah, I'm even more confused, now. But...  _ does _ it? Have any effect on someone's personality? That seems just a little ridiculous..."

The day's groom stepped up to the mirror so he could adjust his own tie, taking a deep breath. "I don't know. We live in a world where people get superpowers and travel through time for seemingly no reason. Is it really so ridiculous to think the stars might have a little bit of a say in all of this?" There was a beat of quiet between them before he sighed and let his shoulders sag, his voice less tense when he spoke again. "Never mind. Crisis averted. I think I just talked myself through it."

Deke arched a brow, leaning against the wall nearby. "You just talked yourself through your crisis by explaining that Daisy's comments about my boyfriend might not be completely insane?"

"Well... think about it. If the entire universe aligns in a specific way for each individual person, then what's to say that all of our powers and the temporal displacements aren't predetermined? If you think about it like that, then... our lives are kind of all planned out, to an extent, right? The stars made us a particular way, maybe to perfectly fit with someone else in this crazy world, and if you find that person, everything just  _ works.  _ So..." Trailing off for a moment, Lincoln turned around to face him before continuing. "Maybe, because of the stars and the planets and their seemingly random rotations and alignments, Daisy and I were somehow made for each other, and our paths crossed at the right comment because your time travel and exact predicament brought us together. Is that weird?"

Staring at him, Deke shook his head with a faint smile. "You know, my Bobo said something kind of like that a few months ago. Something about... something about how there are things that are meant to happen, but you don't  _ know _ until you do something about it. So, maybe there is such a thing as soulmates, but actually meeting them and pursuing something with them is an act of chance."

"Yeah...? What happened after he gave you that little speech?"

Deke let himself grin, straightening up to step toward him. "He drove me to the airport, and I got my boyfriend back."

-

The fact that he had a whole glass of champagne in him didn't do much to help Deke's nerves while he stayed settled in his seat at the main table. He could feel Trevor's hand on his arm while he tried to relax, the touch gentle and comforting - or, at least, as much as it could be when he was required to give a speech to about a hundred people. The subtle weight of the notecards on his knee didn't make his nerves any easier to handle, either, when the old words he'd come up with didn't seem to fit what he wanted to say, anymore.

When the time came for him to stand up, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath before setting the note cards face down on the white table cloth. All too soon, everyone's attention was on him, and he couldn't exactly reach for his boyfriend's hand for support in front of so many eyes. Instead, he steadied himself with a carefully planned glance - toward Trevor, and then his Bobo, and then Lincoln. Once he was ready, he made himself speak loud enough to be heard.

"Earlier today, I was asked to help my friend through a crisis, and unfortunately, I don't think I did that much to help. Instead, I think I learned a little something. Today, Lincoln told me about  _ astrology, _ which makes absolutely no sense to me, because I'm from the future, and my version of the world thinks of the stars and the planets differently than everyone in this time. But something about it is...  _ beautiful.  _ There's this entire science devoted to studying this theory about every facet of someone's personality based on the stars and the universe and exactly how everything lined up in one exact moment. And it really is beautiful, isn't it? That the universe cares so much about each of us that it puts so much time and effort into each one of us, to craft us into exactly what it needs - whether that includes superpowers or some fate that involves being shuttled through time to wherever we might be needed.

"So, it's not impossible to believe that the universe would take just as much time and effort to craft a perfect match for us, too. Except, there's not a lot of control in the universe, is there? Once, a wise man told me that the universe is chaos that can't be controlled, so when it comes to the little things, we should control them as much as we can. And I think that's what makes a soulmate. By some act of chance, sometimes we  _ meet  _ that person that this beautiful, chaotic universe created just for us, and then we have to do something about it. We have to... pretend to date them before we  _ actually  _ date them, or take a chance and ask them out when they stumble into the emergency room because our  _ stupid _ best friend has no other ride. And I think Daisy and Lincoln fit that description well.

"The universe aligned so specifically to create both of you, exactly as you're meant to be, terrifying superpowers and all. I'm just honored that I got to be a part of the act of chance that brought you to each other."

The applause that followed when he sat down was almost dizzying, and if it weren't for Lincoln leaning in from his left, he probably wouldn't have even remembered where he was. It was miles away from what he'd written down, but it felt truer than any silly story about them being drunk would have. Everyone told funny stories, or so his research showed, and he didn't really want to be  _ everyone.  _ The universe created him specifically to be  _ him,  _ not to fit into the mold that everyone else laid out before him. "Hey, that was really good."

With a scoff, Deke shook his head and took a deep breath so that he would actually be able to speak. "You don't sound like you had a lot of confidence in my speech-giving abilities."

"I thought you were going to tell embarrassing stories," Lincoln pointed out with a small shake of his head, the quiet sounds of people starting to talk amongst themselves again filling the room around them. "I was very pleasantly surprised, is all. Next time I need to give a speech, maybe I'll have you write it."

"Yeah, he didn't write that." Trevor shook his head, finding his hand and gently tangling their fingers together. "I don't know where that came from, but it was  _ good.  _ I'm proud of you."

Deke shook his head with a small groan, squeezing his eyes shut while heat flooded his cheeks. Based on that alone, he knew that his face was probably bright red, but it was just the small group, at their table, and being embarrassed in front of his grandparents and closest friends was a lot less mortifying than being embarrassed in front of an entire guest list.

-

[ text | from: **Little Bug** ] _send me a wedding selfie!_ _  
_ [ text | from: **Little Bug** ] _are you wearing matching ties?_  
[ text | to: **Little Bug** ] _when we get to somewhere private_  
[ text | to: **Little Bug** ] _the dance floor doesn't have great lighting_  
[ text | to: **Little Bug** ] _yes, we have matching ties_  
[ text | from: **Little Bug** ] _you're so cute!_  
[ text | from: **Little Bug** ] _tell Deke hi for me!_

Shaking his head with a soft smile, Trevor put his phone in his pocket so that he could take an offered glass of champagne when Deke returned to his side. "Avi's bugging us for a selfie. We'll have to take one when we get back to the room so she doesn't keep pestering us."

Deke chuckled and gently nudged his boyfriend's shoulder with his own. "I'm definitely going to make a stupid face for it, I already decided. How is Avi doing? Excited for our visit?"

"She's been sending me weekly selfies with Sam whenever they have movie nights, and I am frequently reminded that I  _ approved _ of this relationship, so I'm going to have to put up with it  _ forever." _ He took a sip from his glass before shaking his head and elaborating. "We don't even tell each other about relationships until they're serious, and then once we get approval from each other, we can tell mom, and if she approves... well, there's no other option. We simply have to lock it down or face years of guilt tripping."

_ "Have to?"  _ Deke shook his head with a smile, taking a drink from his own glass.

Trevor sighed, looking over at him with a small smile of his own. "It's an unspoken rule. We don't get mom's hopes up unless we're serious."

"But we're staying with your family when we go for Avi's birthday next month."

Letting his smile widen, he nodded his head again and hummed a quiet response around the rim of his champagne glass. "Mmhmm."

He watched Deke try to bite back a wider smile of his own, looking down at the floor and the lights flashing over the wood there. "Oh... yeah...?"

"Yeah."

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 2: New Year's Eve (12/31)  
> Epilogue: New Year's Day (01/01)


End file.
